In Contention

Blog

  • ‘Crazy Heart’ has the goods

    (from left) Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jeff Bridges in Crazy HeartIt’s not just Jeff Bridges who leaps onto the Oscar landscape with Scott Cooper’s “Crazy Heart.” It’s possible in a few months that we’ll be talking pretty seriously about Maggie Gyllenhaal in the supporting actress race and, most certainly, T Bone Burnett’s contributions as the film’s music supervisor.

    Fox Searchlight screened the film this morning to a handful of press and will do so again this evening, looking to gauge reactions to what could be a big boost both on the awards front and commercially.  With “Amelia” losing money at the box office and a dwindling slate of product for the Oscar push, it seemed almost inevitable that this little mid-summer pick-up would find its way onto the 2009 schedule.  More and more, that’s looking to be the case.

    But back to the film.  I would rather not offer up a proper review for a movie that hasn’t been color-timed, still has some sound mixing work to be done and, on the whole, just isn’t finished yet, but I feel comfortable calling it a slow burn that settles warmly in the tradition of “Tender Mercies” or “Nobody’s Fool.” While it might be unfair to reduce it to a “country-music ‘Wrestler’” (as The Hollywood Reporter’s Steven Zeitchik did yesterday without having seen the film), that is nevertheless a pretty streamlined way of describing the narrative.

    More importantly, however, that “performance of a lifetime” from Jeff Bridges that Fox Searchlight was on about when the studio bought the film nearly four months ago?  I think it could be this year’s Oscar-winning lead actor turn walking away.

    (more…)

  • THE LONG SHOT: Critical condition

    Gabourey Sidibe in PreciousAhead of its U.S. release this week, there is a wave of mild surprise in the blogosphere over the fact that “Precious,” the film deemed by some (yours truly included) to be the present Best Picture frontrunner, is currently sitting on a lowly Metacritic score of 57. Fitting neatly with the largely media-fabricated talk of a backlash against the film, some commenters are citing this rather arbitrary number as a debit against the film’s chances.

    As much as I’d personally like that to believe that — and as relieved as I am to see that I’m not the only person who didn’t respond to the film – such talk will doubtless be short-lived, given the paucity of reviews making up the current score and the likelihood of raves to come. If anything, public support is more crucial than critical consensus to this film’s campaign – if audiences don’t turn up to see this grim, minority-oriented indie, many Academy members won’t feel compelled to either.

    That said, it looks increasingly possible that “Precious” (I refuse to use that lumpy subtitle all season, by the way) could turn out to be a more critically divisive item than might have been expected following an ecstatically received festival run.

    (more…)

  • Fox Searchlight looks to salvage season with potential 2009 release for ‘Crazy Heart’

    Jeff Bridges in Crazy HeartJust when you thought last year’s Best Picture victor was down for the count, Fox Searchlight goes and shakes things up in November. First, some background…

    When we kicked off our coverage of the 2009-2010 Oscar season a year in advance, one of the more anticipated titles was Scott Cooper’s “Crazy Heart,” based on the novel by Thomas Cobb about an alcoholic country music singer on the road to redemption. The film stars Jeff Bridges in the leading role, along with Colin Farrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall.

    In July, Searchlight picked the film up, touting Bridges’s “performance of a lifetime,” but the studio slated the release for the spring of 2010. It seemed a shame at the time given the fact that the film was shaping up to be a potential awards vehicle for Bridges at the very least, perhaps more. But with “Amelia” on the way, a (so we thought) potentially major player in the race with its typical AMPAS tropes. But that ship has sailed, leaving the studio with only the animated “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and Marc Webb’s summer entry “(500) Days of Summer” to hawk for awards consideration.

    Until now. Maybe.

    (more…)

  • ‘Green Zone’ poster

    Green Zone

    (Courtesy: Empire)

  • The animated feature race doesn’t have to ‘Panic’ now

    A Town Called PanicWe’ve been hot on the animated feature trail as of late, keeping a keen eye on the number of films that have qualified, plan to qualify, or have opted out of qualifying, the magic number of 16 titles (which would warrant a five-nominee slate rather than three) being the key throughout.

    Earlier this week Raul Garcia’s “The Missing Lynx: Paws on the Run” was submitted for Academy consideration and is in the midst of its required Los Angeles qualifying run in Encino.  Now, Steve Pond reports that another film has joined the party, one that was, for a time, considered out: “A Town Called Panic.”

    Screen International’s Allan Hunter called the film a “blast of freewheeling inventiveness,” while Variety’s Leslie Felperin noted that the stop-motion effort “proves you don’t need fancy CGI techniques, 3-D, or stunt voice casting to make a sparkly little gem.”  The film was reviewed extensively out of Fantastic Fest last month and plays AFI Fest later this week.

    (more…)

  • 11/4 Oscarweb Round-up

    (from left) Robert De Niro and Drew Barrymore in Everybody's Fine• Gregory Ellwood slams “Everybody’s Fine,” calls last night’s AFI festivities a Miramax wake.  I’m having trouble disagreeing with him. [Awards Campaign]

    • Rebecca Milzoff gets some face time with “An Education” director Lone Scherfig. [Vulture]

    • Jim Carrey’s Scrooge rings in the holiday spirit. [Associated Press]

    (more…)

  • Shankman talks Oscar hosts, admits Fey was on the cards

    Tina Fey and Steve Martin at the 81st Annual Academy AwardsI couldn’t be more delighted with the selection of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin as the 2009 Oscar hosts. Martin remains the smartest, sharpest, most urbane Oscar host I’ve seen in my lifetime, and the pairing of his wit with Baldwin’s goofier charm should ensure a ceremony that’s adult, but not too elitist. Either way, it’ll be more my cup of tea than Hugh Jackman’s style.

    Of course, another reason I’m down with the choice is that it’s only one “30 Rock” cast member removed from the pairing I’ve been pleading for. I was in favor of Tina Fey because she had proven chemistry with Martin, plus current pop appeal — Baldwin has both, plus a higher Academy profile (lest we forget, he is an Oscar nominee himself).

    So, in a way, Oscar producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic have improved on my suggestion. But I was interested to read Shankman admit, in this EW interview following the announcement, that they actually tried for Martin and Fey.

    (more…)

  • Emily Blunt named British Artist of the Year

    Emily BluntOkay, let me get this out the way: I love Emily Blunt.

    On screen and off, she exudes smarts, class and a welcome streak of British eccentricity. Most still remember her principally as the girl who cut through “The Devil Wears Prada” like a hot knife through butter, though it was 2004’s “My Summer of Love” which best showcased her dramatic chops and tart sex appeal. Put simply, she’s got it.

    I did not, however, love Emily Blunt in “The Young Victoria.” Usually so alert and thoughtful on camera, the actress is stifled by the bland dramatics and fussy styling of Jean-Marc Vallee’s royal biopic; a practised scene-stealer herself, she gets a taste of her own medicine as Rupert Friend walks off with the film, in an underwritten part to boot.

    Meanwhile, the film that was supposed to be her star-making vehicle (and awards breakthrough) instead got shrugged off by critics, as her name tumbled down the Oscar pundits’ lists.

    So why has BAFTA’s Los Angeles branch chosen this of all years to hand her the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year?

    (more…)

  • Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin tapped to host the 82nd annual Academy Awards

    (from left) Alec Baldwin and Steve MartinWell, I guess Martin was available after all.  And he’s going to have company.

    The Academy has announced this year’s Oscar emcee, and as expected, it’s a pair: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, stars of “It’s Complicated” and one person removed from the suggestion our own Guy Lodge made last month.  Lodge proposed Tina Fey alongside Martin.  Academy producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic opted instead for Fey’s “30 Rock” co-star Alec Baldwin.

    The quoted portion of the press release:

    “We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said Shankman and Mechanic. “Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”

    “I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin.

    “I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.

    And that’s that.  Thoughts?  I find myself completely thrilled.

  • Stiller/Downey turn down tandem Oscar hosting gig

    Or at least that’s what Nikki Finke is reporting.  Roger Ebert quips, “They have Lakers tickets.”  The search continues on.  Steve Martin and Tina Fey are not available.  Hugh Jackman has graciously declined being pigeonholed.

    Who’s gonna step up?  Out-of-the-box pick of the day: Richard Kind.

    EDITED TO ADD: This just hit me, but it makes sense that Downey would decline this offer.  After all, he turned down the chance to present the post-production awards alongside Will Smith last year out of fear of being upstaged.

  • Anna Kendrick: the year’s up-start

    Anna KendrickLast week’s Off the Carpet column charting this year’s Best Supporting Actress contenders would have been remiss to ignore Anna Kendrick, whose spark-plug turn in Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air” is likely on its way to an Oscar nomination, perhaps even opposite co-star Vera Farmiga in the same category.

    Gregory Ellwood over at HitFix says it “wouldn’t be a careless exaggeration to say that if [Kendrick] weren’t nominated it will be one of the biggest upsets in Oscar history,” and while I’d say that is indeed a CONSIDERABLY careless exaggeration (this isn’t “the performance of the year” or anything), I do think that Kendrick is a player you should be taking seriously if you’ve been dragging your feet on her up until now.

    And the media is beginning to shine a light her way.  She didn’t pop up on Variety’s list of 10 actors to watch (she could have filled the shoes of, say, Jeremy Renner, who has been around longer than a list like that should allow).  But as Guy pointed out this morning, she was singled out in The New York Times as one of the year’s breakthrough performers, and I’d say she fits in nicely with the surrounding company.

    (more…)

  • 11/3 Oscarweb Round-up

    Roger Corman• Documentary filmmaker whose work inspired the book “The Men Who Stare at Goats” seeks brutal vengeance for being “airbrushed” out of the film. [The Independent]

    • Jeff Wells sings the praises of “A Single Man” actor Nicholas Hoult. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • David Poland talks to honorary Oscar recipient Roger Corman. [Movie City News]

    (more…)

  • NYT spotlights Jarvis, Hoult, Kendrick, Smit-McPhee

    Nicholas HoultThe New York Times makes an annual tradition of rounding up the season’s most notable breakthrough turns in upcoming films, and it’s typically an intelligent, even prescient, selection of faces. Last year’s crop ran the gamut from François Bégaudeau (“The Class”) to the ultimately Oscar-nominated Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road”).

    In keeping with the youthful slant of many of this year’s awards hopefuls, this year’s group of Gray Lady picks skews rather younger, ranging from 13 year-old Kodi Smit-Phee to 24 year-old Anna Kendrick. (Three of the four are teenagers.)

    Presumably, writer Karen Durbin feels enough attention has already been lavished (not least in her own paper) on Gabourey Sidibe (who I’m increasingly convinced will win the Oscar anyway), as the “Precious” star doesn’t rate a mention. Fair enough.

    (more…)

  • French trailer for ‘A Prophet’

    I love it. Kris loves it. Anne Thompson loves it. And hey, Anjelica Huston loves it too.

    If you’re a little curious as to what the fuss is about, here is a subtitle-free glimpse of Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet,” handily the finest foreign-language Oscar contender I’ve seen so far. (Not that I’ve seen many. But this’ll take some beating.)

  • Caleb Deschanel to be feted by ASC

    Caleb DeschanelThe American Society of Cinematographers has announced that veteran lenser Caleb Deschanel will receive the guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Recent recipients have included Jack N. Green, Stephen H. Burum and Allen Daviau.

    Deschanel won the ASC award for Best Cinematography in 2000 for his work on Roland Emmerich’s “The Patriot.” He has been nominated for the Oscar five times, stretching back to 1983’s “The Right Stuff.” His most recent nod came for Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” but he has yet to win a statuette from the Academy.

    Most recently Deschanel worked on Nick Cassavetes’s “My Sister’s Keeper.”

    “Caleb Deschanel is an extraordinarily talented cinematographer who has played an influential role in cinema history, and driven artistic excellence in contemporary filmmaking,” ASC President Michael Goi says in the press release. “For him to receive this honor while still at the top of his field shows the profound influence and respect he has among his peers. His innovative cinematography is inspiring. We look forward to seeing what is yet to come in his work.”

  • Which Peter Jackson will show up for ‘Lovely Bones?’

    The Lovely BonesAs we begin to count down the days to the official unveiling of “The Lovely Bones” in London later this month (yes, I’m as stunned as you are to realize it’s November already), the film still stands as the biggest wild-card of the season’s prestige offerings.

    The trailer for “Invictus” confirmed it’s (for better or worse) the model of film we had in mind, and we have some idea what to expect from “Nine” … but even a lavish trailer didn’t answer half the questionmarks lingering over Jackson’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s decidedly tricky source novel (discussed here).

    What emerges dominant in the story’s strange genre fusion of fantasy, serial killer thriller and domestic drama? How has Saoirse Ronan’s lead role been beefed up from Susie Salmon’s passive presence in the novel? How will Jackson’s effects-heavy imagery mesh with the novel’s more delicate dramatics? And will the novel’s millions of fans be appeased or alienated by his wilder stylistic impulses? It seems to me the film stands little chance of a middling reception — it’ll hit or miss big.

    (more…)

  • Sticking it to DirecTV

    As a satisfied subscriber, I still say they deserve this completely:

    (Courtesy Landline TV via /Film)

  • Sony Classics nabs ‘Mother and Child’

    (from left) Samuel L. Jackson and Naomi Watts in Mother and ChildOne of the big hits at this year’s Toronto Film Festival was Rodrigo Garcia’s “Mother and Child.” Annette Bening, Naomi Watts and Samuel L. Jackson each began to stir the awards buzz pot, but a distributor wasn’t stepping forward (as has been increasingly the case lately).

    Well, the always game Sony Pictures Classics seems to have manned up and taken on the production.  While no release date was indicated on the press release, I imagine the film will be held for next year’s stable (which already includes Aaron Schneider’s “Get Low”).

    The press release, in part:

    Sony Pictures Classics announces its acquisition of United States’ rights to Rodrigo García’s MOTHER AND CHILD from WME Global. The film debuted at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival as a Gala Presentation, where it was actively pursued by several US distributors.

    MOTHER AND CHILD is the moving tale about the choices we make, the chances we miss, the opportunities we seize and the power of the unbreakable bond between a mother and her child…

    “We have known Rodrigo García for a long time, first as the cinematographer of MI VIDA LOCA in the early ‘90s, then as a writer and director, and have always been impressed with his incredible skill at creating roles for actors, especially for women. With MOTHER AND CHILD Rodrigo has managed to define characters which allow for career best performances for all of the actors he has cast in a film that we feel will connect with people all over the U.S. We are excited to be working with him, his remarkable cast and his producers Julie Lynn and Lisa Maria Falcone,” said Sony Pictures Classics.